“Should I eat protein before bed for muscle growth?” is a pretty common question in bodybuilding circles. Everyone knows that increasing your protein intake is crucial to support your goals, be it bulking up or cutting fat. But, is protein before bed “extra helpful”? Let’s find out.
Protein amount
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, your daily calories should come from:
- 10 to 35% protein
- 20 to 35% fat
- 45 to 65% carbohydrates
Increasing your protein game is crucial, but I also recommend paying attention to the other two macronutrients. Moreover, you should pay very close attention to the source of these macronutrients. For example, you need to focus on complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, and quality protein.
When talking about protein in particular, then the daily intake of protein is about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. However, that’s definitely not enough for those who are looking for a body composition or want to gain lean muscle mass. You will need to increase the amount of protein you have a day. It is important to have at least 1.3 grams a day of protein per kilogram of body weight, but better – 1.8-2 grams. This amount can significantly help support both weight lifting and resistance training.
Following this example, it means that a guy weighing 200 pounds should eat 160 to 240 grams a day of protein in the perfect scenario for muscle growth and/or cutting cycle. But he should eat no less than 70 grams a day to at least stay healthy. So, that’s when it comes to its amount, but is there a right time to consume it?
Research suggests that post-workout protein is best. Yet, it seems that eating protein before bed to build muscle can be a thing too. The best thing is that there’s no need to get things over-complicated, having simply a protein shake before bed can be enough! Let’s check it closer.
The Science of Protein
Our muscles grow thanks to amino acids. Proteins are made of amino acids. This means that our muscles need protein. It is the main source of amino acids necessary for our bodies and muscles. Roughly 80% of our muscles are made of protein. This explains why we need to increase the protein intake not only to maintain the current muscle mass but also to grow more muscle. Not enough protein intake will lead to muscle loss!
So, when we lift weights, our muscle tissues are placed under stress. Lifting weights will cause micro-tears in muscle fibers. This is why your first lift is better than the second. Then, when you sleep, the muscles have the time to repair and grow. Of course, there are numerous processes going on. For example, during sleep, growth hormone is higher, boosting muscle growth and decreasing fat.
So, when you head to the gym, eat protein, and then go to sleep – it is the blend for muscle growth. I guess you’re getting close to the idea of why protein before bed can help support muscle growth. As said, amino acids are necessary to repair and grow muscles. That’s why if you go for a protein source before going to bed, you could take full advantage of the hormone spike and time when your body repairs itself, including the muscle, growing bigger, stronger, and thicker muscle fibers.
Actual studies
It is not me who suggests all that. There are numerous studies and research proving that.
- For example, research proves that casein protein before bed will increase muscle protein synthesis, enhancing post-workout overnight recovery.
- Another study suggests that a protein shake before bed can result in greater muscle strength, size, and muscle fiber size.
- Moreover, research from the International Society of Sports Nutrition declares that casein protein before bed will significantly increase muscle protein synthesis and metabolic rate when you sleep.
- Not only that, but another study indicates that protein before bed may improve metabolism too.
Not all studies indicate that it is protein particularly before bed that has these effects or it is an increase in daily protein that delivers those results. Still, the study from the International Society of Sports Nutrition proves that it is the protein before bed particularly that helps so much. Moreover, it seems that eating protein before bed can significantly benefit those who are not a fan of early morning breakfast or those who have an early morning workout pre-breakfast.
Protein Before Bed For Bodybuilders
Overall protein increase is highly beneficial for most people. Not only that, but it seems that it is not only just athletes and bodybuilders that may benefit from the added protein before bed. Having some protein before bed will definitely benefit those who want to build muscle (and do it fast), but studies also prove that it can help muscle growth or at least muscle preservation in older people and those who have a less active lifestyle. Again, the research proves that those participants who consumed casein protein before bed had positive results. That’s when talking about older adults, athletes, bodybuilders, and even those who have a sedentary lifestyle.
Yet, it seems that if you’re overweight, having protein before bed (or especially carbs) could increase insulin levels, impeding the goal of burning fat. So, the only ones who should abstain from having protein before bed are overweight people who want to burn fat and lose weight.
Best Protein Before Bed
When you’re trying hard to boost muscle growth, enhance muscle recovery and repair, and improve your body composition, getting the best protein before bed is important. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the type of protein you have before going to sleep.
For example, protein from vegetarian sources may not offer all the necessary amino acids. Not only that, you may want to focus on foods high in protein, but low in body fat. That’s because eating high-fat foods before going to sleep may interfere with your body’s hormones and your sleep quality in a negative way. So, you need to opt for high-quality protein and low-fat foods. Here’s what you may eat before bed to build muscle:
- One cup of 1% milk-fat cottage cheese
- A slice of bread with peanut butter and/or a glass of low-fat or 1% milk
- One Greek yogurt with or without berries
- Three hard-boiled eggs
- A small cup of nuts
Still, there are other great sources of protein before bed that could be very helpful when it comes to muscle growth. Not only that, but they could make a great snack throughout the day, as a pre-workout, or post-workout. Aside from those I earlier mentioned, you could also check:
- Low-fat various cheeses (cottage, ricotta, etc.)
- Poultry
- Tofu
- Legumes, lentils, peas
- Fish and seafood
For example, only 100 grams of chicken will provide you with over 25 grams of protein. Greek yogurt or low fat milk may offer over 5 grams of protein, with a lot of casein protein. Alternatively, you could have an actual protein powder shake, which is very low in calories and fat, with a huge amount of protein.
Protein powder shakes / supplements
A lot of people tend to have protein powder shakes, protein bars, and other protein supplements. Not going to lie, I do have some protein shakes every once in a while too. However, I must warn you that if you go for a protein shake before bed (such as a casein protein powder shake), you need to be careful about the type of powder you choose. Especially if you want to go for a protein bar. That’s because a lot of them (and almost all protein bars) are packed with artificial sweeteners and/or are very high in calories.
This is the reason why I recommend getting extra protein before bed through food when possible, and as said, through quality food. Yet, having protein shakes every once in a while can be very helpful. Not only that but numerous other compounds can significantly help you with your goals of muscle growth. While protein (and overall diet) as well as training with enough rest remain essential for muscle growth, there are products that can help significantly speed up the processes. So…
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